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oljames3 wrote:

Soccerdad1995 wrote:

oljames3 wrote:

OneGun wrote:

Pariah3j wrote:lildave40 - sounds like you were thinking on your feet and handled the situation beautifully.

I would like to point out something, not as an attack on what you did, but more as food for thought. You have the right to meet force with force. They threatened bodily harm and had a weapon that could back that threat up. Now it sounds like they weren't within striking distance yet, so drawing your weapon and using it might not have been appropriate yet, but displaying your firearm I believe would have been within the bounds of the law - ie drawing it and leveling it at them while giving verbal commands or keeping it a low ready would have been justified IMO because you are meeting their force (3v1 plus possible deadly weapon and threat of violence). IANAL, this isn't legal advise just my understanding of the law. If I'm wrong, I hope someone can correct me.

I'm not picking you on personally, but I'm raising the question on this notion of distance. What distance is "striking distance" with a knife or a club? There are a number of videos showing that in an attack with a knife or club, etc. that inside of 15 to 20 feet, a person, even a police officer does not have enough time to draw from holster and fire before the attacker strikes. In my earlier post, I linked a video of police officers going through a knife attack drill and even trained police officers that attempted to draw their gun were unsuccessful inside of 15 to 20 feet. Another video, this time from Mythbusters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDpIi5QNpw

Back to my original question: What is striking distance for a knife or club? Or how much distance to I need to draw my gun, even if I was a skilled gun fighter?

Too many folks underestimate the attacker's speed and overestimate their own ability. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E ... ger_effect

As an artilleryman, my preferred engagement distance is 18 kilometers; the nominal maximum range of the M109A5. Not having my howitzer with me, I have to rely on my ability with my pistol. Through training and practice, I know I can draw and get two A-Zone hits in 2 seconds or less at self-defense range. On my best day. However, in a dimly lit parking lot or other less than optimal setting, I think I will want to be at count 2 of my draw stroke when I feel "force is immediately necessary to protect the actor against the other's use or attempted use of unlawful force."

OP survived, no one was hurt. Good job.

18 kilometers is way too close. My unit was equipped with 8 inch howitzers. 25 kilometers is much more comfy.

Pershing 1a. 450 miles.